Spike



(l. B. FITZPATRICK.

v SPIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8| I9l7.

13,369,798. Pafnted Mar. 1, 1921.

C. B. Fzizpazrzbk.

UNITED STATES CLARE B. FITZPATRICK, ADAMS PARK, GEORGIA. *A

SPIKE.

` specification of Letters Patent. Patented Maf, 1,- '1921.

Application 1ed" May 8, 1917. Serial No. 167,248.

To @ZZ who/milt may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARE B. FITZPAT- RICK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Adams Park, in the county of Twiggs and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spikes;`

and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to rail spikes, and the object of the invention is the provision of a 1 double headed reversible spike, the heads being arranged, respectively, on opposite sides of the shank of the spike and lie in planes one above the other, the said heads being identical in construction and either being adapted to engage the base flange of a rail, the lowermost head being adapted to engage a rail tie when the uppermost head is engaging over the base flange of the rail so as to brace the upper end of the spike against strain.

Other objects will .appear'and be better understood 'from the embodiment of my invention of which the following is a speciication, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional detail view, taken through a rail tie with a rail thereon, showing a pair of spikes, constructed in accordance with my invention,

and arranged in operative position,

Fig. 2 is a detail longitudinal sectional view taken through the rail tie and showing the rail in transverse section and with the lowermost heads of the spikes in engagement with the base flange of the rail, and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of onel of the spikes detached from operative position.

. Referring to the drawing in detail, the numeral 1 designates, as an entirety, the improved spike, which is adapted to have the shank thereof driven into a rail tie A, in the ordinary manner, and the letter B designates a rail resting on the tie and adapted to be secured to the tie by means of a spike 1.

As shown in the drawing, the shank of the spike is provided at rthe upper end thereof vwith a pair of oppositely extendin heads, designated, respectively, bythe nugmerals 2 and 3, the heads being identicalF in construction, and of the same length and l0- cated, respectively,'on opposite sides of the shank. The u pper head 2'is formed on the upper extremity orpterminal of the shank, and the head 3 is spaced below the upper terminal of the shank and lies in a plane below that of the head 2.

The initial position of the spike is preferably that shown in Fig. 1, where the upper head 2 engages the base flange of .the rail and the lower head 3 lies in engagement with the upper side of the tie. In this position the lower head 3 serves as a brace forl bracing the upper end of the spike against strain exerted thereon by the rail. 'If the base flange of the rail happens to cut the head2, thereby rendering the head unserviceable, the spike can be withdrawn'and reversed, so as to engage the lower head 3 against the base flange of the rail. As indicated in Fig. 1, the underside of the heads 2 and 3 are inclined outwardly and upwardly from the shank for forming a wedge.

VIt is evident that various changes might be resorted to in the form and construction of the spike without departing from* the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. Y

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new, is: v

As anA article of manufacture, a reversible rail spike including a shank tapered upon opposite sides and terminating in a cutting edge at the lower vend of the shank, said shank-having its upper end'extended in opposite directions to provide oiisetheads of identical form, each head being provided withv an upwardly and outwardly beveledV Y rail base engaging portion anda rounded upper face, whereby the spike may be readily reversed upon damage to either head.

In testimony-whereof I aixmy signature l n presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses W; C. HENDRIcKs, M. W. Frrzmmox.

CLARE B. FITZPATRICK] 

